Mount Roland, Tasmania: Carol Haberle

The land around the township of Sheffield and the Kentish municipality is an ever-changing landscape, of which Mount Roland forms a magnificent, dominating backdrop. Rising 1234 metres above sea-level, Mount Roland is located within the Mount Roland Conservation Area & Regional Reserve, a reserve consisting of 7600 hectares surrounding the mountain range.

Mount Roland was part of the land of the Six Rivers aboriginal community. They called this land Ta Neem Er Ra (big grass plain). According to Aboriginal cultural lore, this area of land contains ceremonial women’s areas at the foot of the mountain, mainly birthing areas by creeks and rivers. Caves, rock shelters and cultural/ceremonial areas were on top of and on the faces of the mountain. The Six Rivers Band hunted on the mountain, and the mountain was a major landmark of the region, being used as a lookout and as a high point for distance communication with neighbouring aboriginal bands.

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Mount Roland: new costume as sunset begins

Mount Roland is a spectacular conglomerate peak, giving magical hues of pinks and oranges in the early morning sunrise and late afternoon sunset, it was originally named Rollands Repulse after Captain John Rolland who traversed the high country between both Mount Roland and Mt Vandyke in 1823.

The first ascent of Mount Roland was in 1826, by Henry Hellyer (1790-1832) and Joseph Fossey (1788-1851), along with a Van Diemen’s Land Company party. They named the neighbouring peaks of the Mount Roland massif (a group of connecting mountains) ‘Claude’ and ‘Vandyke’ after 17th century landscape painters.

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Road from Sheffield to Mount Roland

Gustav Weindorfer (1874–1932), of Cradle Mountain fame, also had connections to Mount Roland. Born in Austria in 1874, Weindorfer came to Australia in 1900. In Victoria he met Kate Cowle (1863–1916), after which they both moved to Tasmania where they married in 1906, and spent their honeymoon camped on Mount Roland with the aim of making an extensive botany collection.

Bushwalking Mount Roland

Two well-marked bushwalking tracks can be found today from both Claude Road and Gowrie Park, crossing both plains and the plateau leading to the summit. Spectacular 360° views to Bass Strait, Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff can be viewed from the summit. Access to part of the mountain can be gained from a track leading from Round Mountain Lookout on the western end of the mountain.

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Mount Roland: autumn reflections

For the experienced/serious bushwalker, Mount Roland via Kings Road (Face Track), starts from Kings Road, Claude Road Village off the C136. This track leads to a steep mountain climb, and takes from 3–5 hours return.

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Mount Roland: Dasher River bridge

The second walking track starts at Gowrie Park Village and takes O’Neill’s Road off the C136. This is the easiest track to walk to the summit and only has a moderately steep incline. This walk takes from 4-6 hours return. From Gowrie Park Village, travel towards Sheffield. When you come to O’Neill’s Road make a right turn into and drive for approximately one kilometre to the car park. From the start the walk follows a 4WD track for a few kilometres, passing a couple of waterfalls and creeks. About 45-60 minutes later you will come to a log bridge crossing O’Neill’s Creek.

From here the track becomes a narrow trail and begins to get steeper. The track continues for a further 30-40 minutes before reaching the saddle at 900m elevation. From here a left turn is necessary to trek towards the Mount Roland summit. The track then takes a gentle ascent across the plateau from where the summit is about an hour away. The trig point (triangulation station at the top of the summit) provides spectacular 360 degree views to Bass Strait, Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff.

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Old homestead overshadowed by Mount Roland

Mount Roland is probably the most photographed mountain in Tasmania, the conglomerate rock face is forever changing, no matter how often one photographs it the magic always takes on a new light.

Comments relevant to this article are always most welcome, just leave a reply below. But first… please confirm the date of this article. Have you found something current, or is this ancient information? Either way, thanks for your company and come back again soon.

Another fantastic article Carol! Mount Roland will always be close to my heart! Earlier in the year, during a testing time in my life, I managed to convince my husband to climb it with me. After losing a significant amount of weight that has haunted the last ten years of my life, and some other personal battles, and health issues that were plaguing my family and friends, I thought to myself, ‘There’s no better way to feel connected, content and at peace with your life, despite the many worries that constantly surround you, than to climb a mountain’.
Now Mount Roland was chosen because it has always been very dear to my mother, and because I see it every time I travel to Devonport for my studies. And also because I believe it represents the true meaning of life, in that every time you look at Mount Roland, it will always be different, darker, lighter, taller, wider, calmer.. It has many moods, just like the ocean.
So anyway, we started the 6 hour climb, at 11am, believing we would be able to conquer it. Little did we realise, that in Tassie the weather changes so rapidly and unexpectedly! The climb was pretty steep, but easygoing, as we took the beginners path that starts at the back of the mountain. But once we hit the edge of the mountain, it was like climbing the steepest set of stairs, made out of twisting rock, complete with waterfalls and creeks to cross, trees to climb over etc. We reached the top of the mountain at 3pm, only to learn that there was another 1.5 hours to go, of walking across the top of the mountain, before we would reach the summit, and what they call the trig point. Because the sun was already starting to go down, we had to turn around and head back to the car, which was one of the most disappointing moments of my life. I’ll never forget the absolute devastation and depression that kicked me in the guts. Yet at the same time, I reached the top of the mountain, so I was ecstatic.
Mount Roland won that day, but as soon as the daylight stays around for longer, and the weather gets warmer, we will be going back, at an earlier start, and will finish what we started. There’s just something so exhilarating and enchanting about climbing a mountain, and seeing the scenery and views change as you go further up… With every step higher, your mood gets higher as well.. It’s unexplainable.. A true natural wonder in this quaint little island of Tasmania 🙂

Beautiful photos of Mount Roland and surrounding district .
Just up the road from the Wilmot lookout two beautiful waterfalls can be viewed . Travel down Lake Barrington Road and find a private entry point, the walk to Forth Falls and Upper Forth Falls is across private property .
A $2 donation in the honest box is all that is required and the walk is well worth the effort ..about 1 hour return .

Carol your photographs are spectacular, I can’t imagine anyone seeing them & reading your account of the area without wanting to go there. I would love to give it a go, it reminds me of weekend ‘tramps’ with family long gone now back in New Zealand. Enjoy your next climb Angela when you conquer the mountain! xx

Hi Tracee,
Thank you so much for your beautiful comments, and I sincerely appreciate you stopping by! I dream of one day seeing New Zealand myself, but for now still have places I’ve not yet visited in Tassie, lol, have lived here and travelled the state all my life (50 years), but have still not yet seen it all.
Hugs, Carol.

My friend is lucky enough to actually live on Mount Roland ,we live 10 minutes away I never tire of seeing it and it is always different .One day in particular we had spent overnight there and in the morning looking down from the veranda there was a mist over Sheffield . All you could see were the tops of the hills and some of the trees and it looked like islands in the ocean . I DIDN’T have my camera , I was spitting chips I can tell you . Love all your photo’s Carol .

Hi Margaret,
Both Sheffield and Mount Roland hold such a special place in my heart, I never tire of going there, every time that mountain shares a different mood! As for the camera, lol, I can relate to not having mine with me when I need it most…certainly has me ‘spitting chips’ every time I leave home without it!
Hugs, and thanks for stopping by hun, Carol.

Hi Carol
Yet another great story & photo’s which make Julie & I take another look at all the photo’s of the wonderful holiday’s we have spent in Tasmania.As you said Mt Roland is so spectacular that no matter where you see it from it will always take your breathe away.Keep up the great work.
Cheers
Wayne & Julie Cartwright

Hi Wayne,
Thanks so much for stopping by again, and for your lovely words! We must catch up during one of your holidays to Tassie…we’ll soon have to make you guys ‘honorary Tasmanians’!
Hugs to both Julie and Yourself, Carol.

Certainly as all the previous comments say, truly great photos of this special Mountain and all with ideal comments, your works are such a credit to you. Not sure when I’ll be actually climbing the mountain, however I can dream of one day putting foot on the track and getting as far as I can, and you will be with me all the way.
Have just returned from Bruny Island, pleased to have had the opportunity to go, stay with friends in a cottage on the water front and be taken round and shown some of this unique part of Tasmania.
Again always enjoy your work Carol look forward to the next one, much love
Jenny

I am a 4th generation Kentish Farmer of Aboriginal Decsent our Mountain means everything to us our children and grandchildren now live under it lets not spoil a sacred rock not only for the Aboriginal Women’s things but for all Australians just for a greedy few that want to fill their pockets with money let’s leave our mountain alone